1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to devices for attaching auger type devices to vehicles for the purpose of easy and safe transportation of the auger and then to provide support and control of the auger during operation whether this operation is initiated remotely, from the vehicle, or locally in reference to the auger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throughout history man has found a need to excavate small diameter holes in the earth's surface for the multiple purposes ranging from dwelling erection, securing livestock and the gathering of food. This surface can include both soil and ice, ice, which forms on the surface of lakes, streams and ponds during winter. Today there are many types of devices; both self-powered and manually operated which were designed for excavating such holes. Whereas these devices work well for what they were designed to do, which is to drill a small diameter hole in either earth or ice, they generally require excessive manual effort to transport and utilize.
The effort required to transport and utilize the available portable auger devices can expel a significant toll on the user. When using these devices there is generally excessive manual effort associated with their implementation. This will cause undo stress to the human body and will lessen the production and lengthen the time required to perform the task at hand. This also limits the use of such devices to only those people physically capable of performing such functions. There have been several devices designed to assist the user in the transportation and utilization of auger devices but due to their design tend to be bulky, expensive to manufacture and therefore purchase and require far more labor from the user to install and operate than necessary.
The devices available today are designed to assist the user in the transportation and utilization of the auger but still fall short of the essential goal of taking the work out of drilling a small diameter hole. Some of these devices do not address the transportation of the auger but solely assist the user with the operation of the auger, such as U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,321 (1971, Kortschaga) teaches the use of an auger powered by the clutch pulley of a snowmobile. U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,751 (1973, Rusco) teaches the use of an auger powered by the track of a snowmobile. These devices require added assembly time and energy and can often be dangerous to use due to the open moving parts associated with the assembly and operation of the apparatus. Since operation of the auger is in the outdoor environment thick clothing and gloves could be required to keep the individual warm, dry and safe. Such bulky clothing and gloves can get caught in the open moving parts. It is also difficult for someone wearing such clothing to set up devices requiring the manipulation of small parts or to operate a device that requires precise movements. Another problem associated with these devices is that they take up space in the cargo rack of the supporting vehicle and/or must be secured to the user's vehicle during transportation and then requiring additional assembly once onsite. This requires time and the expenditure of energy, thus detracting from the safety and fulfillment of the task at hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,723,835 (1954, Reese) teaches a frame for supporting a motor-driven ice hole cutter. The frame of the Reese device rests on the top surface of the ice. The frame has prongs that are inserted into the ice in order to further secure the frame while operating the ice cutter. The motor of the cutter is secured to a platform carried by the frame for vertical movement. The Reese device also has a windlass journalled in the frame and has a hoisting rope secured to the platform for raising the platform and the parts associated therewith after the ice hole has been cut.
The Reese device fails to address many of the problems associated with the stabilization, transportation and operation of the auger. While the Reese device may provide more stability than a hand-held auger, the device may still twist or loosen, depending on the vibration and torque exerted when drilling through the ice. The Reese device must be assembled and disassembled each time a new hole is drilled. The device takes up space on the vehicle and likely must be secured during transportation. The operation of the Reese device becomes more difficult because of the setup time required to secure the pins in the ice and the rope-pulley means for retracting the auger from the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,402 (1998, Jones) teaches a frame for securing and supporting an auger device to a vehicle by means of additional bracketry. The Jones device supports the auger during transportation and operation of the drilling process. The Jones device is designed to be adaptable to most vehicles including ATV's (All Terrain Vehicles) and snowmobiles, with the use of custom designed bracketry. The problem with this design as it relates to securing it to a vehicle is that it not only requires custom designed bracketry to secure the Jones device to a vehicle but also requires additional brackety to stabilize the Jones device and therefore the auger it supports during the transportation process and the hole drilling operation of the auger unit. This additional supporting bracketry not only adds additional weight which must be carried by the supporting vehicle but also adds an additional cost to the user in both monetary terms when purchasing the Jones device and in time spent in assembling the Jones device to the supporting vehicle.
The Jones device also states the ability to adapt to varying handle sizes and widths of multiple pre-manufactured powered auger devices. The problem with this design as it relates to the ability to adapt to multiple pre-manufactured augers is that the entire apparatus of the Jones design must be physically adjusted, most likely requiring tools, to accommodate differing auger unit widths rather that just adjusting the portion of the unit that supports the powered auger device or having an auger supporting unit that automatically adjusts to the varying handling sizes and widths of multiple pre-manufactured powered auger devices. Since set-up and assembly of the Jones device is likely to be done in an unheated garage or outdoors, thick clothing and gloves could be required to keep the individual warm, dry and safe. Such bulky clothing and gloves can make it difficult to make such adjustments required by the Jones device not to mention it also adds weight, bulk, cost and time to the end-user.
Therefore what is needed is an auger/vehicle interface jig that can be easily secured to, transported by, and operated from various types of vehicles, including ATV's and snowmobiles, without the need for customized vehicle attachment or additional customized stabilizing bracketry, therefore allowing the unit to be lightweight, streamlined, and inexpensive to manufacture, requiring minimal effort from the end user to install. What is further needed is an auger/vehicle interface jig that permits full use of the vehicle's cargo rack. What is still further needed is a device that allows an individual to easily raise and lower the auger when drilling a hole. What is still further needed is an auger/vehicle interface jig that can easily be adapted to multiple pre-manufactured augers requiring no disassembly or adjustments to the unit at any point.